In a new sustainability report, carpet giant Ege Carpets presents a new recycling system for their carpets and greater electrification of production. The initiatives are part of the long-term goal to produce the world’s most sustainable carpets.
Recycled materials, reduced carbon emissions and the phasing-out of natural gas are just some of Ege Carpets’ many initiatives to boost the carpet giant’s green transition towards 2030. This is evident from their new sustainability report, in which Ege Carpets present a number of upcoming projects that focus on sustainability.
“To contribute to the green transition, it’s necessary to set some concrete goals and initiatives to achieve those goals. Otherwise, this will just be an abstract exercise, without any development or evaluation to find out whether the initiatives taken actually have any effect. This is why we present an annual sustainability report, which among other things describes our work with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the circular economy,” says Rune Stephansen, CEO of Ege Carpets.
The sustainability report presents many new developments at Ege Carpets. This includes a take-back sys- tem, Ege CircleBack, which ensures that used carpets can be recycled. In addition, Ege Carpets will also invest more in electrification of the elements of production that use the most natural gas.
“To really be more sustainable, the entire product life cycle must be considered. We therefore set both goals and initiatives for our raw materials, product design, production, corporate responsibility and recy- cling of our carpets. In this way, we can ensure that our carpets aren’t only made from sustainable materials but are also produced responsibly and can be recycled after use,” says Rune Stephansen.
Ege Carpets have focused on CSR since the 1990s, and last year the company announced that their aim was to produce the world’s best and most sustainable carpets.
Sustainability as a future competition parameter
On the sustainability front, Ege Carpets works with international standards to further strengthen the carpet giant’s position. This includes the ambition for all carpets for the contract market to be Cradle to Cradle Certified® at Platinum level by 2030, as well as working actively with Science Based Targets.
“We can see that both customers and other stakeholders are increasingly taking an interest in and requiring sustainability. Besides acknowledging our own responsibility for contributing to the green transition, this is increasingly also a necessary parameter that a company must address to stay competitive,” says Rune Stephansen.
He also emphasises, however, that even though it’s imperative to speed up the green transition, it’s impor- tant not to rush into things.
“Sustainability can’t be implemented overnight. It requires patience and, not least, skilled people who know what sustainability is. Sustainability is driven by good ideas, but it’s also vital to be aware of what actually makes a difference and what is possible in practice. Setting high ambitions while staying focused on reality is the way forward towards a greener future,” says Rune Stephansen.
